This kinda sucks….

[Ross1147]

I'm living there with you right now. Lost the reloading room in the house, so built a room in my shop. Straight man cave. AC/heat, couch, TV. Only thing missing is a bathroom. Room was completed 1 month before my son was born. He turned 7 months today. The room sits unchanged, unpacked since he was born.

I run out to reload just enough to hunt and that's it. Been kicking around the idea of downsizing myself. Problem is selling customs usually doesn't get you what you put in. In the future if you want another you'll have to fork over even more $$ to replace what you sold. At least, that's what I tell myself.

 

[crashlanding]

Yes yes yes what Rick says, family first. The rest is up to you. You can always get your guns back, not the family

Let's just say it is a change in life's priorities. Do what you have to for now because that family is way more important. Trust me. You will get back to it when the time is right….the Golden Years.

 

[Mark37082]

Priorities change as we go through this life. Mine sure did. When I was in my prime, time was my biggest constraint. Raising and providing for my young family trumped all other things. Working countless hours and spending too much time traveling for work kept me from jumping in reloading during this period of my life. I don't regret any of these decisions, but wish I had started sooner. Enjoy spending time with your children. When they move out you will miss them more than the time you missed in your hobbies.

 

[Rick Richard]

Priorities change as we go through this life. Mine sure did. When I was in my prime, time was my biggest constraint. Raising and providing for my young family trumped all other things. Working countless hours and spending too much time traveling for work kept me from jumping in reloading during this period of my life. I don't regret any of these decisions, but wish I had started sooner. Enjoy spending time with your children. When they move out you will miss them more than the time you missed in your hobbies.

And then comes the grandkids and it is such a blessing from god….right. YES.

 

[MachV]

With a little luck and encouraging that little girl might like to shoot too. In the mean time your supplies and firearms dont cost you anything if stored properly.
Took almost 30 years for my little girl to give hunting a try. Worth the wait and patience!

 

[QuietTexan]

Anyone else been in my shoes?

Yup. Still there, four kids and the youngest isn't a year old yet. I still shoot a lot, but that's pretty much all that I do other than work and be at home. My oldest two are boys and starting to be ready go on hunting trips with me so that's been a key rationale for not bailing on pretty much my only hobby. They join me in what they can, and what they can't is done after they're in bed.

I wouldn't sell anything yet if it were me. Knocking out 20 rounds or so to last a hunting season can be squeezed into some pretty tight timelines and quality rifles are hard for me to part with.

But if you need something different in the meantime, seriously consider 22LR. I had a Bergara barrled action bedded into a nice stock, slightly touched up by a local shop, and it's been incredibly fun and very accurate. So much so that I've added rimfires from TS Customs and Stratton to the safe. Rimfire means you CAN'T*** reload for it, so buy a ton of factory ammo and shoot shoot shoot. Dovetails nicely with introducing the kiddos to shooting.

There are serious Rimfire leagues now - ELR, PRS, benchrest, 3-gun (eh, 2-gun down here), pretty much every centerfire shooting sport has adopted rimfire in some form. That means support for rimfire is very high, there are a lot of guys doing it, it's easy to get quality ammo and parts, and it's wicked fun to boot.

Along the same lines, getting a high quality stick made in 308 Win means you have access to FGMM ammo. Easy button to bridge the gap until you have more time. To me that's the easiest option to avoid reloading yet still have a solid multi-function rifle.

*** - Well you CAN, but it takes a level of dedication well past normal

 

[flyguy1]

I'll tell you when I stopped reloading shotgun shells; had done it for years in Texas. Moved to Montana, reloader in garage (only place for it then) and it was THE year for box elder bugs. They were everywhere; in the powder hopper, shot hopper, and I just said no.

Was shooting .270 at that time, and used the old Lee Loader, and I know it's impossible without an electronic powder trickler, digital scale, etc., but got 1 1/2 " groups, about as well as the Ruger 77 I could afford then could shoot. Killed several deer before I moved up.

 

[Recon$$]

Give yourself something to look forward to. Me and a buddy planning a Africa trip. He's in the same boat as us. Least got something to look forward to in 4 years hunting wise.

 

[steel2]

Wow
you struck a cord there with me....I love to reload and make my own lead projectiles etc but that was my other life before I married my love and then for a while after we were married but then the children started coming and im proud to say the Lord blessed beyond what I deserve and I have 10 children so all that has been sitting waiting for that time that it slows down and my boys get interested maybe but for now I keep stocked up with factory ammo n keep adding reloading supplies as the family keeps branching out into different calibers even if we don't use it right now....I guess you could call it a senseless rabbit hole depending on how you want to look at it but my thoughts echo a lot of the others that sell what you have to to survive but keep what you can n tinker enough to keep your form....
Stay true to God and yourself..Dale

 

[GetReel]

I appreciate all the responses. Didn't think this would resonate with so many people.
My fiancé and I (I call her my wife cause we've been together for so long) tried for years with multiple unfortunate circumstances before we were blessed with our Charleigh and she is everything to us. Man oh man is she a handful . Wouldn't trade any of it for anything. But I already miss the baby stages . And NO! Not having another! It's been 2 years and Coty's (my fiancé) body is still recovering, yes been a long road.

After reading some of these, I do think I am going to look into Custom ammunition until I get back to it. It might be awhile cause we are talking about moving again, put up a house on her folks farmstead so gma and gpa are even closer to their one and only grandchild.

I sent a request out to North American Ammunition Co and Unknown Munitions.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

I appreciate all the responses. Didn't think this would resonate with so many people.
My fiancé and I (I call her my wife cause we've been together for so long) tried for years with multiple unfortunate circumstances before we were blessed with our Charleigh and she is everything to us. Man oh man is she a handful . Wouldn't trade any of it for anything. But I already miss the baby stages . And NO! Not having another! It's been 2 years and Coty's (my fiancé) body is still recovering, yes been a long road.

After reading some of these, I do think I am going to look into Custom ammunition until I get back to it. It might be awhile cause we are talking about moving again, put up a house on her folks farmstead so gma and gpa are even closer to their one and only grandchild.

I sent a request out to North American Ammunition Co and Unknown Munitions.

Ahh, fiancé! Test time. Mount your press in the kitchen. Then you'll know if she's a keeper!

 

[sedancowboy]

I would argue that you need a little time to yourself ever so often. There is nothing wrong with a little self care. Reloading was my happy place and so I never gave it up. Don't feel guilty for going off to your man cave and enjoying yourself for a couple of hours. Love your children as you should but you are not being a bad father because you reloaded a few shells. My three sons all enjoy reloading and shooting because of the time we spent together on snowy nights in the reloading room. We all now enjoy reloading and the fellowship it brings for us. They are now 36-43 and we talk often of about what we are shooting and reloading.
I have seen many men sell off their guns and reloading equipment for pennies on the dollar. Thinking they had to have the money or couldn't afford the time. Every single one lived to regretted it. Take it from a old man who has been where you are now DON'T.

 

[GetReel]

I have seen many men sell off their guns and reloading equipment for pennies on the dollar. Thinking they had to have the money or couldn't afford the time. Every single one lived to regretted it. Take it from an old man who has been where you are now DON'T.

Just to be clear, I wouldn't be selling cause "I think I need money", I'd be selling a rifle in one caliber to get a rifle in a different caliber that had better factory ammo/saami specs (6.5prc or 7prc).

But I am starting with talking to Paul from North American Ammunition Company

 

[FireFlyFishing]

Just to be clear, I wouldn't be selling cause "I think I need money", I'd be selling a rifle in one caliber to get a rifle in a different caliber that had better factory ammo/saami specs (6.5prc or 7prc).

But I am starting with talking to Paul from North American Ammunition Company

That's be a deal breaker for me…